Clasp.



PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

K c 0 T nu v& H S An CLASP.

APP mommy FILED 4,111.24. 1906.

IAVENTUH na luwwzq having side UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED SHEDLOOK. OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO I. B. KLEINERT RUBBER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA;

CLASP.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed March 24,1906 Serial No. 307,769.

To all, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED SHEDLOCK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, Hudson county, State of New Jersey, have invented Improvements in Clasps, of which the following is a specifica tion.

The kind of a clasp to which this invention relates comprises an open-face member hav ing downwardly-conver ing sides and a block or solid member having ownwardly-converging grooves formed in its sides adapted to co act with the conver ing sides of the other member to clasp a fa ric between them, the grip on which increases with an increase of strain applied to the fabric.

This invention "relates particularly to the two members of the clasp, as will hereinafter be fully described by reference had to the drawings accompanying this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a clasp embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fi 3 is a rear view of the interior member or utton of the clasp. Fig. 4 illustrates the manner of preparing the button-cord before it is secured to the button. Fig. 5 is a view of the loop detached; and Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the same, taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 5.

One of the features of this invention is the manner of constructing the interior member or button of the clasp and attaching thereto its suspension and connecting cord. This button is in the form of a block with the base a. substantially rectan ular and the front por tion 11 formed with its Iower end rounded and grooves c converging down wardly and somewhat smaller than the base a. It is designed to be molded to she e of any suitable plastic material, celluloid eing preferred, and as much as possible of the interior is provided with spaces .extending from the under side by suitable cores in the mold to save material of which the button is 1r .de. The suspension-cord d, molded in the button, as shown in the main view of the drawings, is formed into a loop with the ends secured together, as by a metal clamp-sleeve e, Fig. 4. It is held in the mold by the connected art .2 resting against the core which forms t e space or recess f, the material forming around the lower part of the cord d, and the connection 6 as the button is made in the mold. Economy of manufacture is had by this method of making clasp-buttons of this character, and an effective button is produced, either plain or ornamental, as desired.

The other member of the clasp is a loop having converging sides, the space between them being narrower at the lower than at the upper art, which upper part is large enough for t e front I) of the button to pass through in the flat position, but narrow enough to revent the base a passin' through it, the lbwer inside portion of the oop being adapted to receive the inclined grooves c of the button and to coact therewith to grasp and hold a fabric extending over the face or front of the button. This loop is composed of a moldabl-e material g, similar to t e button, formed around a metal core h. This core, which will take most of the strain imparted to the loop,'is preferably made of spring-wire bent at the middle, with upwardly-extending branches, which are strai ht throughout their length, with their ends out toward one another to constitute the holding-bar t of the loop, as shown at Fig. 5. The covering ma terial g surrounds the whole of the U-shaped portion of the loop and is by a suitable mold formed cylindrical at the ortions j on the upper arts of the sides of t 10 wire core h and is ova or eg shape in cross-section at the lower arts 0 the sides and the bend of the loop, t 1e small end of oval extending inwardly to form an internal flange lc, which is thinner than the other portions of the loop, with the opposing faces of its two sides at an angle to one another corresponding to the angle of the grooves c of the button, as clearly shown at Fi s. 5 and 6. The object of thus forming the cop is to enable the clasp to be made as thin as possible While providing co acting gripping-surfaces of sufficient width or bluntness not to injure the fabric gripped and making the other parts of the loop large enough with sufficient stren th to withstand all working strains. In app ing a button of this character provided with a suspensioncord and a loop to practical use the bar z of the loop and the cord (1 of the button are connected together and to the band or webbing of the su porter, such a connection being shown at Fig. 4, to the end of a piece of web- ICC bin 1, which is passed around the bari and cor d and secured above them by sewing, as shown at Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be understood that the button here described may be used with loops of other make than the one shown and that loops of this special construction may be used with other styles of buttons-as, for instance, the button shown and described in the application filed March 2 1, 1906, for improvements in clasps under Serial N 0. 307,768, and which consists of moldable material formed around a hollow metal core and ,having inclined grooved sides, said core being provided with lugs extending beyond the bottom of the button, and a. plate provided with perforations through which the lugs of the core pass and are bent over or riveted after passing through a fabric located between the button and the plate. 1

The principle of operation involved is that described in the Letters Patent No. 594,568, issued to me November 30, 1897, for improvements in clasps, in which the loop has the lower portions of its sides convergent to coact with the gripping-faces of a button and with the space between the upper portions of the sides wide enough for the admission'of a button to the loop to locate the button in operative position in plane therewith.

I claim as my invention 1. In a clasp, in combination,-a loop consisting of a metal core having strai ht sides and a moldable material surroun ing the same, the inner faces of the lower part of the loop formed by the moldable material bein straight and downwardly convergent an the space formed thereby being of less width than the space at the upper part of the loop; and a button having inclined grooves at its sides to cooperate with the lower art of the loop to grip a fabric, and provide with susension means attached to the top of the 2 In a clas a button- 'pping member formed of mo] able materia having grooved sides; in combination witha sus ension-cord the ends of which are permanent y secured to the button by being molded therein and the main portion thereof extending from the top of the button.

3. In a clasp, a buttonripping member formed of moldable materiafi sides and openings formed in its rear surface; in combination with a suspension-cord the l per end, in combination with a coverin 0 having grooved ends of which are fastened together and are permanently secured to the button by bein molded therein and the main portion thereo extending from the top of the button.

, 4. In a clasp, a loop consisting of a metal core formed with straight sides, a bend at the lower end and a sustaining-bar at the ufpa moldable material formed to surroun the upper parts of the sides of the core with uniformity and the lower portion of the loop with a flange internally arranged, whereby the loop-opening is wider at its upper than at its lower part and the faces of the lower part converge downwardly.

5. In a clasp, a loop consisting of a metal core formed with straight sides, a bend at the lower end and a sustaining-bar at the up er end, in combination with a covering 0 a moldable material formed to surround the upper parts of the sides of the core with uniformity and the lower portion of the loop with a flange of reduced width internally arranged, whereby the loop-opening is wider at its upper than at its lower part and the faces of the lower part converge downwardly; in

combination with a flat button the face portion of which is adapted to pass through the wide upper part of t e loopopening and provided with side grooves to ooact with the flange of the lower part of the loop-opening; and means for attaching the top of the button and loop together. g i

6. In a clasp, a button-gripping member formed of moldable material having grooved sides; in combination with a sus ension-cord the ends of which are permanent y secured to the button by being molded therein and the a main portion thereof extending from the top of the button; in combination with a loop comprising a metal core and a covering of moldable material formed with a flange extending inwardly at the lower part of the loo to constitute coacting gripping-surfaces with the grooves of the button; and means connectin the cord of the button to the top bar of thefioop.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22d day of March,

ALFRED SHEDLOCK.

In presence of J. O. MCKIBBIN, JAMES A. Hunsou. 

